Promoting Public–Private Partnerships in Attracting Vietnamese Legal Experts Abroad: Legal Framework and Policy Recommendations

The Vietnamese Party and State have shown increasing interest in attracting overseas Vietnamese legal experts, as reflected in key policies such as Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, Directive No. 45-CT/TW, and the Strategy for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs to 2030. However, the implementation of these policies has faced numerous limitations due to the lack of a specialized legal framework and insufficient coordination between the public and private sectors. In the context of Vietnam’s ongoing challenges in legal integration, judicial reform, and digital transformation, promoting public–private partnerships (PPPs) as a means to attract overseas Vietnamese legal professionals (OVLPs) is a solution worth further study and institutionalization.

This paper explores the potential and role of PPPs as an institutional tool to enhance the participation of OVLPs in activities such as lawmaking, policy advocacy, legal education and training, and international dispute resolution. Based on a review of current legal regulations, the paper assesses the readiness of Vietnam’s legal framework to allow actors—both public and private institutions, such as universities, research institutes, law firms, and enterprises—to collaborate with state agencies in engaging OVLPs.

Given the current shortcomings in the legal mechanisms governing PPPs in the recruitment and utilization of OVLPs, the paper proposes several policy recommendations. It argues that to effectively leverage this legal human capital, Vietnam must establish a legal framework that enables PPPs in key legal areas. Additionally, Vietnam should implement a system for recognizing the qualifications and credentials of OVLPs; set up a research and diaspora-connection support fund for the legal sector; and develop digital platforms to maintain cross-border academic linkages. Institutionalizing such policies would not only tap into the intellectual resources of the overseas Vietnamese community but also strengthen Vietnam’s legal institutional capacity in its new phase of development—moving towards a modern, integrated, and sustainable legal system.